US 12,254,155 B2
Nano-power capacitance-to-digital converter
Paul M. Walsh, Cork (IE); Said Hussaini, Delft (NL); Dermot MacSweeney, Cork (IE); Hui Jiang, Delft (NL); and Kofi Makinwa, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/083,310.
Application 18/083,310 is a division of application No. 15/938,976, filed on Mar. 28, 2018, granted, now 11,531,424.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/585,043, filed on Nov. 13, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/555,504, filed on Sep. 7, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0120634 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. G01R 27/26 (2006.01); G06F 3/041 (2006.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01); H03M 1/12 (2006.01); H03M 1/14 (2006.01); H03M 1/48 (2006.01); G01D 5/24 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/041661 (2019.05) [G01R 27/2605 (2013.01); G06F 3/044 (2013.01); H03M 1/12 (2013.01); H03M 1/14 (2013.01); H03M 1/48 (2013.01); G01D 5/24 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting a change in capacitance on a sensing electrode, the method comprising:
applying a signal to the sensing electrode;
comparing the signal on the sensing electrode to a reference signal;
if the signal on the sensing electrode is less than the reference signal, increasing the signal applied to the sensing electrode;
repeating the steps of applying the signal, comparing the signal, and increasing the signal until the signal is greater than the reference signal;
when the signal is greater than the reference signal, decreasing the signal applied to the sensing electrode;
if a toggle condition is not detected, repeating the steps of applying the signal, comparing the signal, increasing the signal, and decreasing the signal until a toggle condition is detected, wherein a toggle condition is detected when the signal has been greater than the reference signal more than once and less than the reference signal more than once; and
storing a first digital value representative of the signal at which the toggle condition is detected.